Sermon 1/10/21
Created by: Senior Pastor Sarah West
Sermon Series: Living in the Light
Title: Waiting and Fulfillment
Scripture: Luke 2:22-40
Audio link here.
Luke 2:22-40 (NRSV)
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
I came across this meditation written by pastor Anthony Robinson a few years ago that I thought was a great introduction to today’s scripture about Simeon and Anna and the presentation of Jesus in the temple.
“Grace For the Old Too” - Anthony B. Robinson
Sometimes in the Christmas focus on children, on the young woman Mary and the birth in the manger, we miss another element in the story of Christ's birth. There is grace here not just for the young, but for the old, or older, as well. It's not hard, is it, to see the possibility of new life and new beginnings, when we are young or in the lives of the young? It may be more difficult to imagine such grace and newness when we are well beyond that time of life, when the future is no longer so open or full of promise as it once seemed. All the more reason then to receive the gift of this part of the story, the promise of grace and new life, not only for the young, but for no-longer-young too. Grace happens, surprise and new life can come, no matter what our age.
The first time we encounter this surprising grace for the old(er) in the Christmas story is when Zechariah and Elizabeth learn that she, who is barren and past child bearing years, will give birth to a son, John. At the special ceremony when their baby was circumcised and given his name, the scriptures say Zechariah was filled with the holy spirit and spoke this prophecy:
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, 75in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon* us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ - Luke 1:68-79
I am struck by the similarities between this scene and this prophecy of Zechariah, and the scene and prophecy spoken by the devout Simeon and prophet Anna at the dedication and purification of the infant Jesus.
Like Zechariah who was a priest, Simeon and Anna have devoted their lives to the service of God. Simeon we are told was “righteous and devout” and the “holy spirit rested on him”. Anna is described as a woman who has spent most of her life as a widow (married only for seven years until her husband died) and she has spent all these years from that time, until her current age of 84 praying and fasting in the temple.
I cannot help but wonder if one of the reasons these three were able to see and understand what God was up to in the lives of these newborn infants is not only because of the work of the holy spirit of course, but also by virtue of their age both their physical age and their spiritual maturity. All that waiting and fasting and praying over the course of such a long life I imagine makes one more attentive to the voice of God.
I have noticed something special about the seniors I know, especially those of devout faith, perhaps you have to. And that is the nature of their dreams. It seems that as we mature often our dreams mature too. They become less focused on personal desires (finding a mate, making money, buying a house, going on trips) and more about our hopes and dreams for our children and grandchildren, our communities and the world in which we live.
With great joy the seniors in the Christmas story break out into songs of praise and prophecy that God’s promises are being fulfilled and that this is good news, not simply for them, but for the people of Israel, and not simply for the people of Israel but for the Gentiles as well, indeed for all who “sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace”.
In the midst of these messages of hope and peace, there also comes a word of sorrow. As the wise old Simeon cradles the infant Jesus in his arms he blesses Mary and Joseph but then turns to Mary and says these words:
"This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed--and a sword will pierce your own soul too."
As we hear these words our minds jump from the Christmas story to the Easter story, to the betrayal, shame, suffering the anguish and torture that Jesus endured as his mother watched from the foot of the cross, her soul pierced with sorrow.
But as these wise old prophets remind us, pain does not have the last word. They too have lived long enough to know deep sorrows and pains, the giving up of one dream for another, the death of husbands, wives, even children. Yet . . .
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon* us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.’
At the end of the day, at the end of the story, at the end of their long, long lives, it is God’s peace that prevails.
"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation . . .”
God fulfills not only the dreams of the world, God also grants the desires of his faithful servants, to depart this world in peace, having seen the salvation of God.
Parts of this story will resonate more with folks who have passed the 70th or 80th decade of life. But no matter what our age, all of us can relate to the feelings of longing, waiting and expectation embodied in Simeon and Anna.
Spend just ten minutes in serious contemplation about the state of our lives and the state of our world and most of us will find our minds bombarded with expectant thoughts:
When will it be safe to resume going about our daily lives like we did before the pandemic hit?
Can our government and country recover from our current crisis and division and undermining of truth and embrace integrity, honesty, humility and genuine public service that seeks the welfare of all people?
Will we find a cure for cancer?
Will we figure out how to prevent children from dying of hunger and insufficient medical care?
Will there come a time when wars will cease and peace will prevail?
Will we learn how to love one another as beloved children of God?
We are filled with longing for ourselves and for our world. What do we do with all of this unfulfilled expectation? Our scriptures give us a path forward in the example of Anna and Simeon.
We can choose how we spend our time of waiting and expectation. Anna and Simeon spent a good deal of time in prayer and worship before God. They sought answers where truth can be found - in God.
But, you might argue, God granted them fulfillment before they died, what about those of us who are still waiting?
Imitate Simeon - Hold light close to us
There is a moment from today’s scripture that I want us to hold onto, to embed in our memory and hold in our hearts as we walk into the new year. That is the moment when Simeon takes the Christ child in his arms. It is my favorite scene in this passage.
I want us all to put ourselves in the role of Simeon.
Gaze upon the Christ child and cradle him in our arms. Christmas may be over, and the excitement passed, (I spent a good bit of time this weekend packing things away until next year). But for us who continue to cradle Jesus in our arms, we will carry the tender love and hopeful expectation into the new year.
We will hold close to our hearts the promise of God.
“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon* us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” to guide our feet into the way of peace.
A promise that Simeon reminds us is not only for the people of Israel, but for all the world.
Hold close the wisdom of God that chose what is humble in the world to shame the haughty.
Hold close the love of God that gave up all power and authority and might to show that victory comes from a giving over and laying down.
Knowing that as we hold Christ close to our hearts as we walk into this new year, that we need to be prepared for God to guide us in unexpected ways down unexpected paths.
Remember Simeon, overcome by the Spirit, prophesied: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, … that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”
Living in the light means letting God reveal those places of darkness in our lives and in our world that we would rather not look at, that make us uncomfortable. But we need not fear them, for the light of Christ’s presence goes with us each step of the way.
I want to leave you with a final word of encouragement from an ancient monk and abbot who lived 900 years ago in what is now Belgium and France, Guerric of Igny.
Become a lamp - Guerric of Igny c.1070-1157
Behold then, the candle alight in Simeon's hands. You must light your own candles by enkindling them at his, those lamps which the Lord commanded you to bear in your hands. So come to him and be enlightened that you do not so much bear lamps as become them, shining within yourself and radiating light to your neighbors. May there be a lamp in your heart, in your hand and in your mouth: let the lamp in your heart shine for yourself, the lamp in your hand and mouth shine for your neighbors. The lamp in your heart is a reverence for God inspired by faith; the lamp in your hand is the example of a good life; and the lamp in your mouth are the words of consolation you speak.
-Guerric of Igny c.1070-1157